I am not me
At noon on the day after the Haimen Incident ended, Li Lin arrived at the gate of the East Palace, and his wife Chen Ying had been waiting for a long time.
Li Lin clenched his fists and felt tense when he saw the women and children in the room.
He didn't want to kill these innocent people. But if he spared their lives, would they seek revenge? Yes, killing one's father or husband is an irreconcilable crime. How many people in history have died from this kind of revenge?
Li Lin swallowed and asked, "Do you think they should survive?"
Yuchi Muyan said, "Your Highness, the culprit has been killed. There is no need to kill them wantonly. If you don't kill them, the noble families and officials will think you are a wise ruler and be loyal to you."
"But they'll all kill me!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ying immediately walked up and shook Li Lin's hand.
"Second brother, did you agree not to kill people?"
Li Lin said without hesitation: "The most risky ones are the sons who can succeed to the throne, and their concubines."
Li Lin wanted to go in, but Chen Yun pulled him back: "You promised me. When did you become so cold?"
"Didn't you ask me to rebel?"
This sentence left Chen Yan unable to answer. Perhaps rebellion was her wrong decision.
Li Lin broke free from Chen Yun's hand and walked directly into the hall. Chen Yun quickly rushed to Li Lin and caught him.
Li Lin gave an order: "Come! Detain the Crown Princess! Then, detain the county ladies and the two principal wives. Then begin the killing!"
As the knife chopped down again and again, Chen Yun's eyes widened and he shouted, "Li Lin! Let my sister go!"
But Chen Yan was pulled out of the room by the guards.
Chen Yun yelled, "Seven Star Group! Stop it!"
Li Lin shouted, "Don't stop it! Don't use your kindness to get threatened in the future!"
Chen Siyu stood in the middle, shook her head at Chen Yun, smiled bitterly, and said, "Forget it, sister, I've made the wrong choice, I can't escape. In the next life, we can still be sisters."
Li Lin took a step back and closed the door. As the door was about to close, he saw blood splattering and screams coming from inside. Those concubines who had once been on the edge of the power vortex fell in a pool of blood like lambs to be slaughtered.
Chen Yun was held tightly by the guards and struggled desperately but to no avail. Her cries echoed in the bloody air, full of despair and grief.
Finally, just as the door was about to close, Chen Siyu was stabbed from behind.
Li Lin turned and looked at Chen Yan. He slowly walked up to her, reached out his hand and gently wiped away the tears from her face.
Chen Yun glared at Li Lin, his eyes filled with resentment: "Li Lin, you have changed, becoming so cold-blooded and ruthless. For the throne, you can kill anyone!"
Li Lin's hand paused slightly, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination: "If I am not ruthless, how can I protect our future and our children's future?"
Chen Yun sneered, "What about the two princesses? What about the county ladies? So why are they treated differently?"
"I can use their families to my advantage. Only by stabilizing the families can I better govern the country. The survival of the county lord can make those outside loyal to me. As for Chen Siyu, she betrayed us. I cannot trust someone who betrayed me."
Chen Yun shook his head and laughed wildly. At this time, the sound of killing stopped. Chen Yun let go of his hand and rushed into the room. He saw piles of corpses on the ground. Yang Li was holding some of the county ladies, and Zhen Yin was holding other county ladies. All the women were looking at Chen Yun in trembling and horror.
Chen Yun was already choking with sobs. The scene was so miserable that it was beyond words.
Li Lin walked in and said, "All the deceased will be buried with great ceremony, and their mausoleums will be handed over to their families. For those without families, the court will take care of them. Condolence money will be distributed to each family member, 300 taels each."
After saying that, Li Lin strode out of the hall. Chen Yan looked at his departing back with tears in his eyes, feeling mixed emotions.
Li Lin's approach was right, and Chen Yun knew it very well. If he was too kind, the throne he had obtained in an abnormal way would be unstable. But if he was not kind, he would be criticized by the aristocratic families and alienated.
She walked to Chen Siyu's body, hugged her and cried.
At this moment, I realized that once you enter the palace, it is like entering a deep sea, and nothing can be controlled by you.
Although the Haimen incident was over, Li Lin had ultimately gained power illegitimately. To win over the court officials and various factions, Li Lin visited the homes of various officials daily, personally presenting them with brocade and jade. He also pardoned the retainers of Li Jiancheng and Li Ji and promoted them to important positions.
On this day, Li Lin arrived at the main hall of the Ye Ting Palace and saw the prince's favorite, Wei Xianchao, kneeling between the powerful ministers.
Wei Xianchao also realized Li Lin's arrival and quickly saluted: "Wei Xianchao, I pay my respects to the Crown Prince."
As Li Lin walked, he asked, "Wei Xianchao, I want to ask you, you paid homage to the Crown Prince in the past, and your father also paid homage to the Crown Prince during this dynasty. Now you are paying homage to the Crown Prince today. Are you a loyal minister?"
The people around him laughed at him, saying that he was a slave of three families.
Wei Xianchao calmly knelt again and bowed. Then he slowly spoke, "Guan Zhong said, 'When the state is destroyed, the minister dies, and the heart aches.' But when the state survives, the king dies, and the sadness only lasts for a while. Yan Zi also said, 'If the king listens to the advice of loyal ministers, how can the state be in danger?' On the other hand, if he doesn't listen to his loyal ministers, why should he die with them?"
Li Lin sat down, then looked at Wei Xianchao with sharp eyes: "This king knows that you persuaded the former crown prince to kill me because you are a loyal minister."
What was coming had finally come. Wei Xianchao calmed down his slightly panicked expression. He knew very well that if he said something wrong or made up a story, he would easily be caught and killed. He had to tell the truth and make people believe him.
"No, I am only a loyal minister. A loyal minister serves the country. The struggle for the crown prince is already detrimental to the country of Qiankun. Therefore, one of the two should be killed! And I, as the crown prince's man, will definitely serve him! If the former crown prince had listened to me, there would have been no fratricide! I knew you would come looking for me, but I didn't run away because I acted like a loyal minister of Qiankun, like Guan Zhong and Yan Zi."
Everyone was surprised. They didn't expect someone to praise them for this. They all sneered and laughed at him.
Li Lin raised his hand to stop the noise, then asked, "If this king only needs loyal subjects, then you are useless, aren't you?"
"In my opinion, since ancient times, good ministers have been more important than loyal ministers. Good ministers mean excellent officials, and with a country as strong as this, talented people should be employed. Loyal ministers, if they lack talent, are merely doing their duty."
"Um...duty?"
Li Lin muttered to himself. He was also hesitant about the person in front of him. He could handle the situation so calmly and perfectly, proving that he was a talented and courageous person. It would be a pity to kill him.
Wei Xianchao continued, "Your Highness, please kill me."
"Why?"
"The world only knows that the Crown Prince and the former Crown Prince were fighting, but they don't know the specific reason. Killing this humble official will stabilize the people's hearts and let the people know why they were killed. The people will naturally be at peace, and the country will naturally be at peace."
Li Lin deliberately slammed the table and cursed: "You are still teaching me how to do things, which proves that you don't take the person in front of you seriously! Besides, without you, there would be no brothers killing each other. Of course you must die!"
Wei Xianchao saluted again: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your appreciation."
Li Lin had long heard of Wei Xianchao's calmness and wisdom. Now he was truly extraordinary. Satisfied with the man before him, he asked, "If I don't listen to you, you'll be completely ineffective. Besides, there are so many talented people out there, why should we follow the wishes of just one person?"
"In this way, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will soon become the second former His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He who accepts advice, values gentlemen, and is not afraid of shame is the one who is superior. As a guilty minister, I wish to support the monarch with my own sin, even until my death."
Li Lin raised his lips slightly, then said, "The world is inherently unstable, and only a stable society can bring peace. Talents are even more needed now. Wei Xianchao, I can spare your life, but you must persuade the people of the Qi King's territory and the former Crown Prince's territory to reconcile. Tell them that I will not pursue the past, and that they only need to be loyal to me. Also, who will accompany you on this trip?"
Chen Feng thought about it and realized that since his achievements were not great, this was the perfect opportunity to make a contribution. He was the first to step forward and said, "Please allow me to accompany you."
"Okay, then you have to be careful. Tufan's bandits often invade our borders. If you have the chance, fight them back."
The two responded.
Little did he know that in the future, Wei Xianchao would be his greatest wise and meritorious minister.
A few days later, Li Lin and Chen Yun returned to the position of Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
The moment he returned to the Eastern Palace, Li Lin replaced almost all the court officials with his own confidants, making the aristocratic families and officials miserable.
In order to fight against Li Lin, the aristocratic families and court officials began to try to regain the dominant power with Li Lieo, but they were inexplicably opposed by people in the palace. Li Lieo knew that he was now close to being sidelined.
Li Lieo, who saw the reality clearly, had to give up, so Crown Prince Li Lin and Crown Princess Chen Yun were summoned to the study in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Li Lie'ao sighed, then said, "Lin'er, now that you are the crown prince, it is time for you to return to power. I have been unwell for a long time, and the crown prince should share the responsibility of state affairs. Today I grant you the title of crown prince regent, and you will take over."
"I, your son, will definitely govern the country well."
Li Lie'ao narrowed his eyes. "The Prince of Qi and the former Crown Prince are in rebellion, and one of the concubines is a relative of the Crown Princess, which has a bad reputation for the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Plus, the Bai family is very strict about the status of the mistress of the East Palace. I'm afraid that your background will be criticized. But... the Crown Princess said that you will have the surname Changsun in the future, so that's all well and good..."
Chen Yun looked up at Li Lieo and Huang Youbing in astonishment, but Huang Youbing stared at him with a sullen face, as if seeking some answer.
Li Lie'ao leaned back in his chair, gazing outside. "Do you remember at the Four Nations Banquet that year, someone claimed that Yun'er's father was the former General of the Right Guard? Chen Richen's original name was Changsun Richen, the elder brother of Changsun Chanhai. He was once given the surname Chen by the State of Chen, and later defected to me."
Li Lieo and Chen Yun exchanged glances, and the look in their eyes made Chen Yun seem to understand but not quite understand.
Li Lie'ao continued, "So, starting today, when compiling history books, we will note that Crown Princess Chen Yun's father, Changsun Richen, was persecuted in a previous dynasty coup and subsequently changed his name and surname and moved to a distant countryside. Madam Chen married Changsun Richen as his second wife. His first wife gave birth to his eldest son, Changsun An, and he and his second wife, Huang, gave birth to their second son, Changsun Feng, and their youngest daughter, Changsun Yun. Therefore, from today onwards, to the outside world, Chen Feng is Changsun Feng, and Chen Yun is Changsun Yun. Internally, this remains unchanged. Changsun Chanhai is your uncle. Huang Jian is Madam's eldest brother."
Chen Ying and Li Lin were both stunned. What was the reason for changing the identity like this? Chen Ying asked.
Li Lie'ao continued to talk to himself, "This time, the battle was caused by the instigation of my concubines. Furthermore, the Second Prince's achievements surpassed my own, and I was deceived by treacherous officials, which led to the fratricide. So, this is history. Don't you agree?"
Li Lin asked, "Your Majesty, there is no need for this. I will treat the officials with respect, regardless of past gains and losses, and will employ them based on their merits. I also promise to restore the status of the eldest and fourth sons."
Li Lie'ao shook his head. "Not only must I do this, but I must also correct your behavior. People's words are terrifying! No word of virtue can appease your actions."
Chen Yun rejected this arrangement and said sternly, "Your Majesty, please revoke your order. I do not wish to be branded as an unfilial father because of this matter. Nor do I wish to be a slave to three families just to survive like the Lu family."
Li Lie'ao's temper flared up immediately. "But I care. Since ancient times, tyrants have always been loyal. Just killing your relatives and threatening you will bring eternal infamy upon you two. If I don't correct history for you, my rule over the world will certainly not be stable! I am foolish, but not incompetent! I also have to think about my descendants!"
Chen Yun was furious and tried to stop him, but Li Lin covered his mouth. He whispered to Chen Yun, "You just fell out with your father. If you show your rebelliousness again now, you'll be in big trouble. It might even affect your family."
Li Lie'ao sighed, then continued, "Lin'er, the emperor is wary of you because several masters once calculated your dragon and phoenix appearance. You have been the most outstanding among your brothers since childhood. At the age of sixteen, you led troops to rescue Emperor Yang Shang of the Chen Kingdom amidst thousands of troops. At the age of eighteen, you led troops to chase the enemy for two hundred kilometers. With so many achievements, you are truly more meritorious than your father. He wants to abdicate, but throughout history, the legitimate succession to the throne has always been the legitimate heir. So he wants you to show mercy to your royal brother and find a way to keep you away from trouble. But you refused to listen and blamed me for everything. That's right. I have never been a good father. But you are my son, so you must pay attention from now on. My today will determine your tomorrow."
Li Lin's hands relaxed and fell to his sides, as if everything was settled. "Lin'er, you ascend the throne!"
Li Lin and Chen Yun exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Li Lin's eyes welled up with tears. Chen Yun knew that she was no longer an ordinary person. Marrying a man means following his wife wherever she goes, and she needs his support.
"It seems... there's no going back. If I have to choose between being a sentimental woman and a concubine who considers the overall situation, I can only choose the latter if I want to survive."
Then, Li Lin walked over to Li Lie'ao and hugged him. He buried his head deep in Li Lie'ao's chest and burst into tears. His sobs were so convulsive and sobbing that it penetrated his heart.
A few months later, Chen Feng returned victorious from the front lines and reported to the imperial court. By this time, the Tufan Kingdom had gradually withdrawn its offensive intentions. Upon learning of his changed surname and family connections, the court, while undemonstrative, was furious.
Then, Chen Feng came to the backyard of the East Palace to meet with Chen Yin about the surname issue.
"Xiaoyun, how could you change your last name? Now that my mother is so fed up with you, what do you think we should do?"
"If not, how can I have Zhangsun Chanhai brainwash His Majesty and let him know that everyone around him is the crown prince? How can I force His Majesty to abdicate the throne?"
When Chen Feng heard this, he shook his head in surprise. He had never thought that his sister could be so scheming.
"I didn't expect you to be such an unscrupulous person."
"I just want to make sure there are no obstacles around Li Lin. I won't interfere with the rest."
"I think you're just like Shu Diao, the man who starved Duke Huan of Qi to death. You say you won't interfere, but you say one thing behind the scenes and another in front of the scenes."
Chen Yun said impatiently, "Why didn't you take Xiaoyu away and let others catch her?"
"What are you talking about after the fact? Can I do that? Hey, are you questioning me about Chen Yun or Changsun Yun?"
"What if I were to ask you as Changsun Yun? Why, brother, would you lead the charge and go out with Wei Xianchao? I warn you, my position would conflict with your high authority. If future generations were to accuse us of controlling the government, we would be doomed."
"Don't be soft-hearted. As a man and the eldest brother, shouldn't I prioritize my career and expand our Chen family's legacy? Doesn't it have to be the eldest grandson's family? I'm not wrong in what I've done! To accomplish great things, one must have ambition and desire!"
Seeing Chen Feng's powerful words, Chen Yun was even more dissatisfied. After all, if it weren't for Chen Yun, Chen Feng would not have been able to enter the court as an official.
"Don't forget, every identity you hold today is an opportunity I've sought for you. I also hope you understand, brother, that what you need to do is to avoid becoming overpowering and do what I cannot do."
Chen Feng swallowed his saliva. He didn't expect that his sister had become so arrogant.
Just as Chen Feng turned to leave in anger, Chen Yun said, "Brother, I am Chen Yun, not Changsun Yun. I repeat, you must remember your identity. It is to stop Li Lin and I from doing wrong. Also, protect yourself. If you sacrifice yourself, what will happen to my mother and me?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng paused, turned around, and his eyes were filled with complexity and helplessness: "Don't worry, I know what's going on."
Chen Yun sighed softly, then slowly walked up to Chen Feng, his tone softening a bit: "Brother, I don't blame you. When it comes to political schemes, it's best to stop at the right time."
Chen Feng reached out his hand, gently patted Chen Yun's shoulder, and turned to leave. As he walked away, Chen Feng said, "You have grown up. You are more powerful than me."
To Chen Yun, Chen Feng's words were like a needle piercing his flesh, light but painful.
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